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Freefall
freefall short story by stork enjoy, flower nerds <3 chapter one - patchbreeze hello, friend! at least, i hope you're a friend of mine. my name's patchbreeze - i'm just your typical tom. i'm helpful. i'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to what i do. i've always tried to be kind to others. and i have parents who love me, and friends who care for me. except that i'm not so typical, friend. i get sad at random times for no reason. other cats hurt me for no reason, sometimes on accident and sometimes on purpose. all of my kindness goes to waste. i'm not usually like this, not speaking with proper grammar, but it's been a side effect of me being sad, i guess. and i get things like... well, let's call them attacks. i think about everything that has happened and everything that goes wrong there. usually someone has to come and shake me back - that's what russetfang and thrushfeather are there for. anyway. today's unusual. it's what's called the voting day. every six moons, the cats select members for what's been called the stardusting. nobody knows why it's called that, but it's similar to the medicine cat gatherings in the clans years and years before us. anyway, the cats - they're divided into tribes based on the areas where they live - select members to visit that gathering, and one cat from each tribe is selected and one returns. at a maximum, there's about eight cats - two from each tribe. they serve for a year and then return. if you're selected, you're at least honored. you may not have the best reputation, but as long as it's the majority, you'll get it. once you return, the general idea is that you'll have a better idea of how things work. it's a little odd to me, to be honest. it doesn't make much sense to me. i've never been selected. i don't think i'm ever gonna be selected, no matter what i do. and i've tried my best to be kind to everyone. today feels... different. russetfang looks sad. thrushfeather's been trying to cheer her up for hours, but she's in a bad mood today. i approach her slowly. "everything okay?" "no." she sighs. "she - larchflight - told me she can't stand me. she's been lying to me this whole time... I thought we had a chance." thrushfeather places his tail on her shoulder. she nearly shies away, but after a moment, lets him continue. "look. if she said that, she's not right for you. there are plenty of other cats out there who'd like you." this seems to frustrate her. "but they're all toms! none of them - none - are like me. I'm never going to find someone." "hey," i murmur, approaching her. "there's a she-cat out there who'll love you like you're her one and only. larchflight's an idiot for not realizing how amazing you are. whoever you settle down with should and will love you like there's nobody else." she looks shocked, but after a moment, there's warmth in her eyes. "thank you, patchbreeze." thrushfeather smiles. "see, this is why we're best friends with patchbreeze. he's always there to guide us and give us advice." he nudges my shoulder. "so... the stardusting election's coming soon..." "you think he'll get in?" russetfang shakes her head. "nah. he's so quiet and reserved, so silent about his ideas. he's got a chance, but I doubt seriously the clan'd put their trust in someone who hardly talks to anyone but us." he scoffs. "I'd beg to differ, russetfang. he's got good spunk, and cares deeply about the clan." she smacks him with her tail. "whatever. we'll see when the time comes." the conversation falters before russetfang asks, "so, patchbreeze, are you interested in anyone?" i've never thought about relationships too much. "not anyone in particular." "not even a certain she-cat you've had your eye on?" she's talking about... "splashheart? no." heat rushes into my face. i swear my ears are red. she chuckles. "haha, I knew you still had your eyes on her! she's like you, kind of." "no she's not!" thrushfeather barges in. "she's more talkative, and she's hardened out, and far less reserved than patchbreeze is. she's more like his opposite." "who said she was hardened?" she smiles. "I've talked to her a few times. she's also like you, thrushfeather - interested in toms and she-cats." his ears redden. "someone else like me never happens!" he groans. "there's never been anyone who understands what it's like to be interested in both of them." they get into an argument about cats like him. but this is normal, and i'll break it up soon. welcome to my friends, my group, my life. chapter two - russetfang You've heard about Patchbreeze, haven't you? Don't hurt him. Or I'll find you. He's my friend; he doesn't deserve what's been happening to him. What's happening to him? A lot of things, actually. He's been experiencing a lot of anxiety, and Thrushfeather and I are always there because of his anxiety around other cats. He gets sad and lonely and always feels bad. It's usually because he's highly sensitive. He's always been the way he is. And the Stardusting's coming soon - I don't know what'll happen there. He may get chosen. Who knows. He's friends with Thrushfeather and I because he's like us. An outsider. Never talked to, never asked about how he feels. Never told what's happening until it happens. He's like Thrushfeather and I. Thrushfeather and I have been friends for a long time. He and I became friends because there was nobody else. I remember it well. He came up and said hey and asked if I minded him near. Obviously I didn't, and that's where it started. Thrushfeather told me his secret around the same time I told him mine. I started liking a she-cat. He started to like a tom. He told me he didn't know what was going on. I said the same thing. We sound like some star-crossed lover-duo-friend thing. Patchbreeze came along not long after that. He arrived after a poor experience - heavily injured and smelling like rogues and blood. Thrushfeather insisted he be brought here, since he can't stand to see cats we could save die. He hates dying cats, especially when they're so close to him. Our leaders - I could care less who they are - let him in, regretfully so. So Patchbreeze joined us because he didn't know where he was and he knew nobody. It's a weird concept, where we are. There are three healers and many, many more cats than there were when the Clans existed. We have two leaders. One is temporary; they change every year. The other is permanent - doesn't change until they die or resign or retire. I forget how that's assigned; ask Thrushfeather, maybe he'll know. Patchbreeze usually breaks up the arguments between Thrushfeather and I. We get into arguments over cats liking us - like Larchflight, or Possumheart, the latter being Thrushfeather's crush. Neither of them like us too much. Larchflight and I almost hit it off and had something. Possumheart is just like his name - scrawny and definitely considered the "weird" one in the scheme of things. Patchbreeze reassures us both that we'll get someone who'll love us the way we are. On the mention of Larchflight... Patchbreeze separates Thrushfeather and I after a moment, like he always does. "Hey. You'll both find someone." I shut myself up before I can say something about Possumheart, and I stretch after a moment. "I'm going to confront Larchflight." "Yeah!" Thrushfeather cheers. "Go Russetfang!" "Yeah," Patchbreeze cheers, quieter. "Go Russetfang!" I nod my thanks and start to walk. I can see Larchflight across the area... "Larchflight." She's in a conversation when I walk up, and they pause immediately. "Well well. If it isn't little miss she-cat lover." She scoffs. "I thought we were just friends. I seriously didn't think you had a crush on me. We were jsut friends." "'Just friends' my butt, Larchflight." I can't help it - it pisses me off that she did this to me. "We had something." "Something that only you thought existed." "Shut it. We're done." She stares at me and actually looks a little shocked. "Don't ever speak to me again unless you actually want to apologise. I don't see you apologising." She actually looks a bit surprised. "Great. Love it." The words barely come out without a break. "I'll leave you alone. I'm sure I'll hear of your next affiar with someone soon." She turns her gaze away to resume her conversation. I lash my tail but leave anyway. She doesn't deserve my time. I'll let Thrushfeather tell his side. chapter 3 - thrushfeather Last time I checked, Patchbreeze's parents were adopted. They adopted him as their son when he arrived, so he wouldn't feel so lonely. Russetfeather told his story, didn't she? Just like her. She does that. And you know that she confronted Larchflight. I know more about Larchflight than you do. Larchflight isn't just anyone - when we were younger, maybe kit-age, she and I were friends. The best friends we could be, anyway - I was the weird one. She and I remember that her mother had an affair with another tom. Within three moons after her birth, she already had more siblings on their way. We weren't as close when we became apprentices. Larchflight started drifting away, and Russetfang... she came around. Larchflight and Russetfang were friends. Were. Not anymore. "Patchbreeze," I murmur, "Do you want to talk to her?" "Russetfang?" He thinks. "Sure. She's done anyway." He and I trot up to her. She lashes her tail against the ground, but smiles anyway. "Hey guys. She actually looked shocked." "Seriously?!" I gasp. "Why would she looked shocked? She treated you poorly." Patchbreeze is always so logical. "Maybe she felt bad and didn't tell you?" She shrugs. "Who knows? Either way, we're not talking anymore." She flattens her ears. "But I can't let go of the look she gave me." Patchbreeze shakes his head. "That'll probably be in your mind for a long time. Let's go hunting; that'll get your mind off of it." I nod, and she smiles. I step up front and take the head as they follow behind me. We enter into a forest. It's different from where we just were - a clearing, near some dens where some cats sleep together - but not entirely so. The woods stretch above our heads and I can hear the faint call of a raven. Russetfang taps my shoulder and we pause for a moment. The area is entirely familiar. "So. I'll take the river side," she murmurs. "Patchbreeze - do you want the woods?" "Sure." He nods and flicks his tail. "I'll go." "And, Thrushfeather..." She thinks. "...you can handle the moor!" I nod, and she makes a "hmph" noise. "Alrighty. Split off and meet back here at sunset with whatever you have." She pauses. "And when we get back, we feed ourselves first, then the rest of the group." Patchbreeze and I nod, and we split in different directions. I head for the moor - a similar area to where we live, but there are rabbits and holes and even small tunnels for us to hunt in. I walk silently through the woods. The ground feels soft against my paws. I come to the moor. Immediately I spot a fat, white rabbit, and I crouch. It glances around, and for a moment, I've thought it's heard me - until it turns its head back down. Go! I leap and grasp onto it. It screeches but I manage to hold it still and bite its neck as it lashes at my chest. "Aw, you're a fighter, aren'tcha??"